Lotus-Petal-Shaped Bowl with Foliate Rim

"I love the lotus because it grows out of the mud, yet stays untouched by it." A Northern Song scholar, Zhou Dunyi, wrote those words in the 11th century, and the lotus became the flower of the upright, honest person. This bowl was shaped in that same age.

Its rim opens into overlapping lotus petals, and the walls follow every curve down to a tall, neat foot. Each lobe was modelled by hand after the bowl was thrown on the wheel. The glaze is Ru ware's famous sky blue, cool and slightly grey, soft as jade, with a delicate web of crackle running through it.

Bowls like this may also have served as warming bowls, filled with hot water to keep a wine ewer warm at the table.

9.8 cm high and 14.5 cm across. The foot is glazed inside, and the base shows a few tiny spur marks from firing. Attributed to Ru ware, Song dynasty.

The rim is modelled in the form of overlapping lotus petals, with approximately eight to ten lobes, while the body follows the undulating contours of the rim in a series of gentle waves. Its fluid, elegant lines evoke the appearance of a fully blossomed lotus viewed from above. In the decorative vocabulary of Chinese ceramics, the lotus traditionally conveys purity, integrity, and auspiciousness. Its petal form was particularly prevalent on tea wares and ritual vessels during the Song dynasty, reflecting the prominence of Confucian and Buddhist traditions of the period.

The glaze is the characteristic sky-blue (tianqing) of Ru ware, with a subtle blue-grey undertone and a soft, lustrous surface reminiscent of polished jade. Its refined tonal quality evokes the celebrated poetic description of a sky cleared after rain, when clouds part to reveal a delicate blue.

The glaze is traversed by a network of fine crackles, traditionally described as “cicada-wing” or “ice-crack” patterns. This characteristic feature of Ru ware results from the differing rates of expansion and contraction between the porcelain body and glaze, where a technical phenomenon becomes an integral element of the vessel’s aesthetic appeal.

The forming process involved multiple stages, including throwing, trimming, and the careful hand-modelling of the lotus petals, demanding a high degree of technical precision. The relatively tall foot provides both structural stability and visual elevation, while its restrained proportions accord with the refined simplicity characteristic of Song-dynasty aesthetics.

The interior of the foot is fully covered in celadon glaze, its surface traversed by a dense network of fine “ice-crackle” crazing. The glaze exhibits subtle tonal gradation from deeper green to pale blue-green, reflecting the natural variation produced during the firing of celadon.

Several minute yellowish-brown spur marks are visible at the centre of the base. These are traces left by the firing supports used to elevate the vessel during firing, preventing it from adhering to the kiln furniture. Such marks are characteristic of certain Ru ware and related Northern Song celadon wares and provide evidence of the vessel’s original firing process.

The foot ring is neatly formed and smoothly finished, with a gently rounded profile and a base that contracts slightly towards the centre.